Two-wheeled vehicle



(No Model.)

H. G. M. HOWARD.

TWO WH'EELED YEHIGLE.

Patented July 26, 1887.

\A/i'hzesses, I22 mentor.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY e. M. HOWARD, or KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN.

TWO-WHEELED VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part. of Letter 5 Patent NO. 367,105, dated July26, 1887.

Application filed November 2, 1886. Serial No. 2ll,77l. (No model.)

ral-spring'hangers as a means of suspending the body or seat-bars fromthe thills.

The object of the invention is to produce a spiral spring hanger soconstructed and associated with the thills and body or seat-bars thatthe spring will be partially compressed from both ends toward its centerwhen in its normal condition, whereby less spring-steel is required andless spring action is attained in a double-acting spring of this class,the utility of which is explained below. Other objects and the utilityand construction are below set forth.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a sideelevation with one wheel removed; Fig. 2, lettered details of Fig.

'thills; a, the seat-bars or body jointedly attached at the forward endto the thills; A, the wheel, and D the seat, all substantially asheretofore in this class'of vehicles.

Of course the vehicle on both sides. is like the side hene shown. So faras the position of the suspending-hangers is concerned, they areattached pivotally or jointedly to the thills at one end and to the bodyat the other end at the points substantially as heretofore.

So far as I know, the spring-hangers before employed have eitherexpanded under the weight of the rider or compressed from one end only;but I am aware that lapped bars bearing a doubleacting spiral springhave been used in other relations-such, for instance, as

sustaining a vehicle-tongue; but I have especially adapted thespring-hanger here shown for its particular use in the new combinationof parts, which appears in the following de- 5 tails of construction.

The free ends ofthe hairpin-shaped rods u a are secured to caps or cupsff, with theloop end of the lower bar pointing downward and attached tothe body 0, and the loop end of 5: the upper bar pointing upward andattached to the thill or crossbar, the parallel bars of the rods '16passed vertically and loosely through holes in the cups f.

The loop end of the bars to are swelled a little laterally, formingshoulders. The length of the bars from these shoulders to their freeends controls the length of the hanger in its normal condition, Fig. 3.The design is that the spring a, Fig. 4, shall be slightly compressedfrom each end when placing it between the cups f, thus making a stifferspring with comparatively lighter steel.

Fig. 5, in which the rods u are broken and thecup fand two spirals ofthe spring a appear in section, illustrates the end of the spring in thecup, and also plainly shows the rods passing through the cup f and thefree end of one attached thereto.

Another important object in forming stops to fix the position of thecups and employing a spring which has to be compressed to occupy thespace between the cups, is thatif the same spring were not compressedwhen in its normal condition it would yield too readily and too far whenthe rider mounts the seat, thus allowing the body to swing undulydownward, or else the body would be sustained unduly highabove the axle,and in either case the swing of the body would be too great. This couldpartially be obviated by employing heavier springs; but as steel is soldby the pound, economy is a vital point in this direc tion tomanufacturers ofsuch vehicles. It will be observed that the stops orshoulders which the cups contact are a little removed from the loop endof the rods, and at the terminus of or near to the straight portion ofthe bars. Were it not for these stops, the springs bytheir pressureagainst the cups would force the latter in a wedging manner in the bowof the rods, so that the holes in the cups would lCO cramp against theinside of the bow part of the rod, or else the cup would contact withthe hook to which the bow was hung, in either case preventing a properand free action of the parts.

Vhen the body 0 is borne down by the weight of the rider, the rods adraw their respective cups f toward each other, thus eompressing bothends of the springalike, as above stated, Fig. 2. Of course when thebody rises the spring expands alike at both ends as the cups are forcedapart farther by the rods, which lap past each other. Such hangershaving this action of the spring a are desirable in carts designed tocarry either one or two persons, as the elasticity and delicacy ofaction are multiplied, fora lightweight person, with a spring heavyenough to sustain two persons. There is a more equal strain on thespring. A shorter spring may be employed, and one important feature isthat less continuous length of the hanger-rods is exposed when thespring is compressed than there would be were the spring compressed fromone end only. Thus the rods are less liable to become bent out of shape.

At t is shown a double hook attached to and pendent from the thill; or,if preferred, this hook may be attached to and project upward from theseat-bar c. The eye end or bow of the rod u is hooked over one of thehooks. It will be observed that one of the hooks is nearer the thillthan the other and on a different Vertical plane. By this means the bodymay be raised or lowered, and the angle of the hanger changed to adjustfor heavy and light persons. By changing the angle of the hanger theleverage of the seat-bars on their forward fnlerums and on the springsis changed.

There are many desirable features in the peculiar spring-hanger hereshown which I have not set forth, and which an actual use of the cartwould alone make clear, especially in driving over rough roads.

Having thus described my invention, the i|nprovemcnts which I claim areThe combination of thedouble-actingspringhangers, the seat-bars, thet-hills, and the adjust-inghooks, the hooks thereof being on differcnthorizontal and vertical planes, whereby the leverage of the seat-bars ontheir forward fulcrum and on the springs is changed, substantially asset forth.

In testimony of the foregoingI have hereunto subseribed my name inpresence of two witnesses.

HENRY G. M. HO\VARD.

Witnesses:

JAS. BUTLER, AUGUST Jiicon PFEIFER.

